David ii



(No Model.)

D. H. FANNING.

CORSET.

Patented July 19 WITNESSES N, PETERS, Phnhlidhugmphcn Wflshinglnn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID II. FANNING, OF VOBCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,658, dated-July 19, 1887.

Application filed March 3, 1867. Serial No. 229,522.

(No model.)

useful Improvements in Corsets; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,which, in connection with the drawings making a part of this specification, will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to make and use the same.

My invention relates .to corsets; and it consists in certain novel features of construction of corsets the bodies of which are made of knit fabric, as will be hereinafter fully described, and the nature thereof indicated by the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a corset in position; and Fi 2 represents, on an enlarged scale, a transverse section on line 00 m, Fig. 1, showing the several thicknesses of the corset at this point, as will be hereinafter described.

The object of my invention is to produce a corset the body of which is made of continuous sections of knit fabric sewed together, or of separate sections united together by means of the bonc-sections interposed between them, which will readily adapt itself to the form of the wearer, be very pliable, easy, and comfortable, and entirely free from the stiffness and rigidity of corsets as usually constructed.

It is well known that knit fabric or material has considerable elasticityand give trans versely, and in myimproved corset I take ad vantage of this to secure transverse or circumferential elasticity of the corset without the employment of elastic sections or gores by using sections of knitfabric extending vertically in the corset in the direction of the length of the fabric--that is, the longitudinal line of the knitting being vertical of the corset and not transverse thereof. In connection with said sections of knit fabric I employ a supporting strip or band of woven or nonelastic material, extending transversely upon the lower part of the corset and stitched to the sections of knit fabric, in addition to the usual binding on the lower edge of the corset, for the purpose to be hereinafter stated.

By my improved manner of using the sections of knit fabric, as above described, in connection with the supporting-strip extending around the lower part of the corset, I am enabled to secure great elasticity of the corset transversely, so that it willreadily stretch and yield to any movement of the wearer at any point between the central band and the top and bottom edges. At the same time the transverse supporting-strip at the lower part of the corset will prevent theknit fabric from stretching too much transversely in the process of sewing on the binding, and will serve to keep it even and uniform. Said support ing-strip will also prevent the narrow binding on the lower edge of the corset from pressing upon ,or cutting into the body of the wearer, which must necessarily happen unless said wide supporting-strip is used, by reason of the pliability and yielding character of the knit fabric,which furnishes no stiffness orsupport for the binding-cord between the bonesections.

In the drawings 1 have shown an elevation of one-half of a corset of my improved construction.

The part marked A is the front or husk section, made of woven or nonelastic fabric and provided with bone-pockets in any ordinary manner.

Bis the eyelet-section at the back of the cor set, made of woven fabric in any ordinary manner. Between the front section, A, and eyeletsection B there are in this instance four sections, 0, of knit fabric.

The sect-ions O of knit fabric extending from the top to the bottom of the corset are preferably cut from one thickness of knit fabric, the longitudinal line of the knitting being vertical of the corset, so that the elasticity or give of the knit fabric wi l be transverse, or in the direction of the circumference of the corset, and not vertical in the direction of the length of the corset.

The knit sections 0 may be united together by seams upon the inside of the corset, so as to form a continous knit fabric upon the inside of the body portion of the corset, as indicated in Fig. 2.

Four bone sections or strips, D, of woven or non-elastic fabric of any ordinary construction, (for containing the bones a, see Fig. 2,) extend vertically from the top to the bottom of the elasticity thereof obtained by the employment of the sections of knit fabric in the manner above described. A narrow binding, 1), may be stitched upon the upper and lower edges of the corset in the ordinary manner.

, sections D.

A central strip or band of non-elastic material (shown by dotted lines in the drawings) may be stitched upon the inside of the corset in the ordinary manner to prevent any transverse expansion or extension of the corset at the waist portion.

' In addition to the binding b upon the lower edge of the corset, a non-elastic supporting strip or band, E, is employed, which extends transverselyaround the corset at the lower part thereof. 7 The supporting-strip E is stitched to the sections 0 of knit fabric, preferably upon the outside thereof, and extends continuously, passing between the knit fabric and the bone (See Fig. 2.)

The employment of the transverse supporting-strip E at the lower part of the corset in connection with the sections 0. of knit fabric, stretching transversely, as above described, is essential for the practicability and proper working of the corset.

The strip E, made of nonelastic material and stitched directly to the transverse elastic sections 0, at the lower part thereof, previous to the stitching of the lower ends of the bone-seetions'D thereto, holds the fabric of said sections 0 in place and prevents it from stretching out transversely at its edge when it is drawn out in the process of stitching on the bindingb, thus obviating any puckering or drawing up of the knit fabric after the bindingb is stitched on; and, further, the strip E, being of considerable width, prevents the narrow binding 1) from pressing upon or cutting into the body of the wearer, by reason of the transverse elasticity and thenon-stiffness and rigidity of the sections 0, extending between the bone-sections D. a

A transverse non-elastic supporting-strip corresponding to the strip E may be stitched around the upper part of the corset in the same manner as described, in connection with the strip E, if desired; but the same is not essential for the proper working of the corset, for the reason that the sections 0 of knit fabric are much narrower at their upper ends than at their lower, and therefore there is not the same tendency to stretch out nndulyin the process of stitching on the binding 1) at the I top of the corset. There is notso much strain at the upper part of the corset or pressure upon the wearer as at the lower part, and little or no liability of the narrow binding 1) pressing into and cutting the body of the wearer, as it will do at the lower part in case the supportingstrip E is not used.

It will be understood that in carrying out my invention I do'not limit myself to any particular form or make of corsets, as my in- I vention may be used in connection wlth different forms of corsets now in general use. A greater or less number of sections of knit fabric having'elasticity transversely or in the direction ofthe circumference of the corset may be. used, as desired, in connection with the transverse non-elastici supporting-strip extending around the corset at the lower part thereof.

Instead of uniting the sections of knit fabric directly together, so as to form a continuous knit fabric, as above described, and illustrated in Fig. 2, they may be united to the edges of the bone-sections interposed between the sections of knit fabric. The transverse supporting-strip upon the lower part of the corset may be upon theinside of the corset, if preferred, instead of upon the outside, as described above, and illustrated.

I am aware that corsets have heretofore been made from sections of knit fabric, and there fore I do not claim, broadly, a corset made from sections of knit fabric; but

What Ido claim as my invention,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a corset, the combination,with the sections of knit fabric extending to the bottom of the corset, the longitudinal line of the knitting being vertical of the corset, of a binding and a supporting or staying strip of non-elastic material extending around the lower part of the corset and attached to the sections of knit fabric, for the'purpose stated, substantially as set forth.

2. In a corset, the combination, with bnsk and eyelet sections of non-elastic material, of a body portion between said sections, consisting of a section or sections of knit fabric extending from the top to the bottom of the corset, the longitudinal line of the knitting being vertical of the corset, and a binding and a supporting or staying strip of non-elastic material extending around the lower part of the corset and attached to the knit fabric, for the purpose stat-ed, substantially as set forth.

DAVID II. FANNING:

\Vitnesses:

J OHN O. DEWEY, M. RALPH DRYDEN. 

